


All The Myriad Ways

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: AU collection, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animal Pregnancy, Corgi BB-8, Endgame Poe Dameron/Ben Solo, Ficlet Collection, Harassment, Labrador BB-9E, M/M, Minor BB-8/BB-9E, One-Sided Armitage Hux/Ben Solo, Protective Poe Dameron, Puppies, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-06-26 15:40:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19771303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: For all those Darkpilot AUs that don’t fit anywhere else.





	1. Unwanted

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MidgardianNerd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidgardianNerd/gifts), [Roxy_Rox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roxy_Rox/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: Warning for alcohol use and harassment in this chapter. Based on the following prompt from MidgardianNerd: 
> 
> “So my prompt was one of them being hit on at a bar by someone they don’t like so they’re asking to the stranger next to them to play their boyfriend.”
> 
> I could not pass that up. Or having a fic collection for all those AUs that don’t fit anywhere else.

The bar itself was one of those places that Ben was sure that even beggars wouldn’t touch, it was that bad. There was some sort of crappy pop music playing, and there was some sort of drunken asshole thinking that he could just hit on Ben. 

Said drunken asshole had fallen behind for the moment, but Ben couldn’t help but be a little shaken, at least. Now he was sitting at the table up front with a stranger that, Ben wasn’t going to lie, was very handsome. Curly black hair. Expressive brown eyes. Almost sculpted features. 

Ben couldn’t help but wish that he was being hit on by that stranger instead. 

“Rough night?” the stranger said. 

“You could say that,” Ben said. “Some drunk asshole won’t stop following me.”

”Oh. Sorry about that.” Even the stranger’s voice was nice. Soft and pretty. “Anything I can do to help?”

An idea struck Ben. “Could you...pretend you’re my boyfriend?”

The stranger laughed, but it wasn’t mocking. Not really. “I’m not a good liar, but I’ll try.” A beat. “Especially for a good-looking man like yourself.”

Ben could have sworn his heart skipped a beat. 

The drunken asshole came back — much like the cat in the nursery rhyme. “Look, mate,” he said. “All ‘m sayin’ is, give me a chance.” He gave Ben a sleazy, almost conniving smile. "I can show you a good time.”

”Sorry,” Ben said, “I have a boyfriend.”

The asshole looked at the stranger skeptically. “That man?” he slurred. “What do ya see in him?”

”He’s not you,” Ben said coldly. 

The stranger spoke. “Look, Armie, if you don’t leave, I’m sure the bouncer would be pleased to make your acquaintance. That’s my boyfriend you’re hitting on, asshole.”

”Tha’ supposed to scare me?” Armie said. 

“No. Just a warning. The bouncer thing was too, for the record.”

The latter seemed to be what made Armie leave. Thank God. Ben hugged the stranger despite himself. “Thank you.”

”Hey, it was nothing. I’m Poe, by the way. Poe Dameron. And you are...?”

”Ben Solo.”

They talked at the bar. And now that Ben thought about it, maybe his twenty-first birthday wasn’t getting off to a bad start after all. 


	2. Puppies!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ben’s dog has puppies by Poe’s dog, despite them seeming to hate each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: So, my birthday’s coming up, and the wonderful Roxy_Rox (roxy-rox2 on Tumblr) gave me the following prompt: 
> 
> “:) I hope you have a very happy birthday! I thought of something light and fluffy for once- “Ben Solo and Poe Dameron have recently started dating and have never been happier. Theirs only one gray cloud on the horizon… Their dogs (Nina the Black Labrador and Beebs the Pembroke Welsh Corgi respectfully) absolutely loath one another!  
> Or so they thought. Turns out Nina wasn’t “getting fat” like Ben thought after all… she was pregnant! And Beebs is the proud father of her eight puppies. Oh well, at least the “Corgidor’s” (Poe’s idea) are cute.”
> 
> Also did a bit of editing (read: taking out a sentence) thanks to a research fail. Thanks for calling it to my attention, Roxy!

Learning that his dog was pregnant with the pups of a dog that she seemed to hate with a passion wasn’t what Ben Solo expected…but it was clear the nurse wasn’t playing a belated April Fool’s prank on him and Poe Dameron, who looked just as flabbergasted as Ben did.

“But they hate each other!” Ben said. It was one of those things where that was probably the last thing he should worry about, but still…

The vet continued. “So you’ve told me. But apparently…” She trailed off. It was clear she didn’t know how exactly to finish that sentence. And Ben doubted that he knew how to finish it either.

***

Preparing the whelping box back at home took a while. Even following the careful, careful directions that Ben had found online and gotten from the vet to make a good space for Nina, he couldn’t help but be nervous about it being, simply, enough. Nina watched even as Ben and Poe set it up, almost nonchalantly, wagging her long tail. Ben turned to her and smiled.

“You’re going to be a wonderful mom,” he said to her. “Really.”

Poe grinned. “She will.” Then, “Ben…wonder if we’re technically grandfathers to her puppies?”

Ben snorted. “Doubt it. We’re too young.”

“Has to be a term somewhere,” Poe said. “I mean, come on; this is the same English language that came up with stuff like ‘selfie’. I’m sure that it can have room for more words.”

Ben chuckled. It was possible. Nina, probably having no clue what they were talking about, wagged her tail and trotted into the whelping box before nestling down.

“So I guess the box is Nina approved?” Ben said lightly.

Poe snorted. “Come on, Ben. ‘Course it is.”

***

Saying that labor was stressful was an understatement, but it was worth it seeing the puppies for the first time. Nina seemed more than a bit tired, but even now, Ben wondered what she was thinking. Was she proud? Even if she was exhausted? What went through dogs’ heads most of the time.

“They’re so small.”

Even watching Nina grooming one of the puppies, Ben couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sight of it. 

“ ‘Course they are,” Poe said, smiling. “They’re puppies.”

“I know. I just…” Even looking over the small animals being groomed and later feeding from their mother, Ben knew they’d all but grow up into strong, feisty dogs. Strong and feisty, like their parents. “Beebs will want to see them. I know it.”

“He will,” Poe said. A chuckle. “Damn, but Beebs might spoil them rotten.”

Ben laughed. “He will.” He turned to look at Poe. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? And to think I thought they hated each other.”

Poe laughed as well. Somehow, Ben thought, he looked even more beautiful when he did that. Practically radiant, actually. Then, “Y’know, I wonder if the phrase Corgidor is a thing.”

Ben shrugged. “Might be. I mean…why wouldn’t it? Labradoodle, Yorkiepoo…there’s probably a lot of combinations between dogs and such…” A beat. “You gonna Google and see if someone beat you to it?”

“Maybe later.” Poe smiled as he spoke, looking at Nina and the nursing puppies. All eight, healthy pups. For now, he and Ben could just enjoy the moment.


End file.
